BLACKSBURG, Va. – The new Southwest Virginia Mountain Brew Trail, which just launched this week has 16 craft breweries, including Rising Silo and Right Mind Brewery in Blacksburg.
“It's definitely a good thing for the brewery, and it's definitely a good thing for us and everyone else that's involved,” said brewer Evan Graham at Right Mind brewery.
Virginia has more than 200 licensed breweries, employing nearly 30,000 people.
Tourism director, Lisa Bleakley of the Montgomery Regional Tourism office, is excited about how this trail will attract more visitors, jobs and businesses.
“Twelve counties have partnered in this across Southwest Virginia, so this new heritage craft-brewed beer trail just adds to what Virginia already has,” Bleakley said.
While the numbers for 2016 aren't out yet, Bleakley says the beer trail will only add to the 1,300 tourism jobs created in Montgomery County in 2015.
“I would imagine it's going to increase visitation. You know, people travel for culinary tourism, and they travel to get a sense of the region right,” Bleakley said.
Bleakley is hopeful that this new trail will introduce visitors to more of what Southwest Virginia has to offer.